JAMES AND HUGO
by SlumberingVoid
Summary: Three part story featuring Prince James and his former rival Prince Hugo as they grow up and realise the strong feelings between them. Part one comes from the episode "The Flying Crown", part two after "Lord of the Rink" and part three is my own work.
1. Chapter 1

Three-part story about the budding relationship between Prince James and Prince Hugo. Beginning with them winning the Flying Crown together, where they first experience feelings for each other. One year on, and Hugo agrees to teach James ice dancing, where they give in to their feelings and become boyfriends. Fast forward seven years, and it's the eve of James' wedding to Princess Vivian of Zumaria, leaving him and Hugo broken-hearted that they can't be with each other. But will that be fixed?

PART ONE- THE FLYING CROWN

The Royal Preparatory Academy was where all kings and queens started out, where they learned everything they needed to be good and just rulers. Under the watchful eyes of the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, they learned lessons on etiquette, poetry, fencing, dancing, speech-making and all manner of other things. But one of its most popular attributes was Flying Derby, which is what was taking place today. Royal Prep's two best against the two best from Westlock School, racing neck and neck on their flying horses. Princess Sofia and Prince James of Enchancia, their faces taught with concentration. An announcer provided riveting commentary.

"And as the horses approach the final stretch, they are neck and neck and neck! Uh-oh, Weslock pulls ahead by a nose!"

"James! Give me a Wing Blast!"

"Yeah! Good plan!"

James, ten years old with honey-blond hair and matching eyes, pulled back the reins of his horse and fell back to allow Sofia and her mount, a purple pony called Minimus, to pull ahead.

"Hold on! Prince James is pulling back! What is Royal Prep up to?"

James flicked the reins and his horse reared up and beat his wings furiously, the increased air rush propelling Sofia forwards and past the Westlock riders, causing a great stir in the crowd.

"And now it's Royal Prep in the lead with a beautiful Wing Blast! That's gorgeous team playing right there! And now Princess Sofia is in the lead with the finish line in sight!"

Indeed she was, James next to her and the Westlock riders on their heels.

"Remember, folks, only one rider needs to cross the finish line for the team to win! And whichever team wins today goes on to the Flying Derby Championships, where they will compete for the greatest prize in royal sport: The Flying Crown!"

The crowd was especially tense, because this was the first time Royal Prep had reached this far for the Flying Crown in a long time. There was a great amount of cheering for their prospective heroes, especially from the royal box. Sofia and James' parents, King Roland and Queen Miranda, along with their sister Amber and her friends Hildegard and Clio. Amber waved her fan

"This is so exciting! Go, Sofia!"

They all stared at her expectantly.

"And James."

But Westlock were getting close to overtaking them.

"Sofia! They're catching up!"

"Let's do the Double Swerve! I'll block, you go!"

"Great idea, Sof!"

Minimus swerved from side to side, preventing either Westlock rider from getting past her whilst James sped right for the finish line. The announcer was going wild.

"Boom! Boom! Royal Prep pulls off a beautiful Double Derby Swerve! Goes to show that being fast is no match for a good team play! Prince James is all alone, in the lead, and BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! Heading for the finish line!"

Whooping like a madman, James sped across the line and his cheers were drowned out by those from the crowd, though even their noise was no match for the announcer.

"YES! They've done it! BOOM, BOOM, BOOM! Royal Prep wins! Royal Prep wins! Royal Prep wins!"

A band struck up the school's victory tune, and the crowd took it up with great enthusiasm.

"Huzzah! Huzzah!

RPA!

Huzzah! Huzzah!  
For Royal Prep, for the red, and green, and blue  
We're all for one, and one for all  
At RPA, you'll hear our royal call

Huzzah! Huzzah!  
For Royal Prep, yes, we're loyal through and through  
We rule on the field  
And off it too  
That's for Royal Prep to a T we're true

Sofia and James royal through and through  
Huzzah! Huzzah!  
FHor red, green and blue  
That's Royal Prep to a T we're true

Huzzah

All save one, however. A boy of about eleven, handsome and dark-haired, sat with his arms folded and a sulky expression on his face as everyone around him cheered for the victorious duo. Prince Hugo had lost his chance to make the team when he refused to take Sofia seriously, since she was the first princess to try the sport, and he was quite bitter about it. His rather boastful older brother Axel didn't exactly help.

"I just love this cheer, baby bro! I remember how the whole school used to sing it for me when I crossed the finish line. Best feeling in the world."

"Now, Axel, don't make Hugo feel any worse than he does."

King Garrick was a vigorous man in a magnificent fur-lined outfit and was a genuinely loving father, just a bit pushy. Axel shrugged.

"Sorry, baby bro. I know how much you wanted to be on that team."

Hugo shot his older brother a withering glare.

"It's just not fair. I'm the best rider in the whole school."

"Third best, remember? Sofia and James beat you in the try-out race."

"They got lucky."

"Well, I'm sure one day you'll be as big a star as I was."

Meanwhile, Sofia and James were surrounded by a crowd of admirers, Amber in the lead.

"Oh, Sofia! You did it!"

"Hey, I won too."

"I know."

James glared at his sister, but she was too busy lavishing praise on Sofia to notice.

"This is such a big deal for our school. Royal Prep hasn't made the Championships in over a hundred years. And it's all because of my sister!"

"And brother."

"Uh-huh. Now, you two just have to win that Flying Crown. We're all counting on you, Sofia."

James, now looking quite annoyed, cleared his throat.

"Don't mess this up, James."

James looked like he was about to breathe fire.

"Well, I-I hope we can win. But we're going to be racing against the Junior Knights Academy."

"Are they good?"

Hildegard and Clio chipped in.

"They're the best."

"They win every year."

"But Sofia and I can beat them. We're gonna do all our best team plays. Double Swerves, Wing Blasts, all of them. Then it's across the finish line to victory!"

James had been dancing around in excitement as he said this, but suddenly his foot caught on a rock and he stumbled. Sofia ran forwards to catch him and they both fell heavily to the ground, Sofia cushioning her brother with her own body. Amber and the others quickly rushed to see if they were all right. James pushed himself to his feet, looking frantic.

"Sof! Are you OK?"

"Ow! I think I hurt my wrist."

These words seemed to make the sun go down. Sofia was taken to the heads of the school, the three good fairies who helped protect Princess Aurora from the wicked fairy Maleficent. Flora, the oldest and the leader, who wore red; Fauna, the quietest and kindest, in green; and Merryweather, the youngest and feistiest, in blue. Flora looked grave as her fellow fairies placed Sofia's arm in a sling.

"Well, I'm afraid I must be the bearer of bad news. You've sprained your wrist."

"Can I still ride, MIss Flora?"

"Not for another two weeks, dear."

James was horrified.

"But the championship race is in three days! Who will be my teammate?"

Fauna smiled.

"Sir Gilliam!"

Sir Gilliam was the school's stablemaster, responsible for teaching them all to ride the flying horses. They all liked him immensely, especially James. When James saw who entered the room with him, however, his smile vanished instantly.

"Hugo?!"

Prince Hugo, who hadn't yet been told what was happening, looked at James in confusion. Sir Gilliam, aware of the tension between the two princes, was hesitant but Merryweather beat him to the punch.

"Prince Hugo. I'm afraid Princess Sofia has hurt her wrist, and won't be able to ride in the championship race."

Hugo's whole demeanour changed.

"I'm on the team?!"

Sir Gilliam took over.

"You're the third-best rider in the school, so yes. You and James will ride for Royal Prep in the Championships."

Both boys glared at each other; it was harder to tell who was unhappier with this arrangement.

"All right, see you both at practice. First thing tomorrow."

James and Hugo didn't answer. Sofia, knowing that they would have to work together to ensure victory, stepped in.

"So, Hugo, I know me and James beat you in the tryouts, but hopefully we can put that behind us now that you and James are teammates."

James saw the wisdom in those words.

"So, no hard feelings, Hugo?"

He held out his hand, but Hugo didn't take it.

"You just got lucky."

James looked offended.

"OK, well, Sofia and I have been working on some new team plays. I think we should go through them at practice tomorrow."

Hugo sneered.

"James, I'm so fast we don't need any of your cute little team plays. All we need is me crossing that finishing line."

With that, Hugo left the room. Sofia and the others flinched as they waited for James to explode and throw himself on the other prince. Instead, he was standing there with a very peculiar expression, caught between indignation, curiosity and something else.

"Did he just call me cute?"

It didn't annoy or disgust him as much as it probably should have; on the contrary, it made him feel strange and warm inside. He shook his head; probably nothing. But what he didn't know was that Hugo, who had left with a swagger and an air of confidence, was secretly cursing himself as he walked away. Cute? It was true, he found James cute, but he couldn't let that be known. His hostility towards Sofia was because she prevented him from being on a team with James, while he knew James would hate him for that attitude, protective as he was of his sister. Now he would be on a team with a boy who hated him and who he really wanted to be friends with. God, this was going to be difficult.

James, meanwhile, was talking to Sofia.

"I'm so sorry, Sofia. I was such an idiot; I hurt your wrist and now I'm stuck with Hugo."

Sofia, bless her, was always forgiving.

"It's OK, James. I'm not mad. And, who knows, maybe you and Hugo will make great teammates. Maybe even friends."

"Friends? Yeah, right, and I might suddenly turn into a pink and purple zebra."

Merryweather raised her wand; next second, where James was standing there was a purple zebra with pink stripes. It let out a startled whinny; Sofia giggled.

"Be careful what you wish for, Prince James."

The zebra stomped one silver hoof, looking very grumpy. One wand wave later and James was back to normal. He glared at the smiling faces of his sister and teachers.

"Was that really necessary?"

"You did say you'd turn into a pink and purple zebra."

"I was being sarcastic."

Sofia decided to soothe her steaming brother.

"James, you and Hugo will have to work together if you want to win. So, whatever you do, don't let him forget that."

"I'll try, Sof. I just wish you were my partner."

"Why don't you take Minimus? Fly him for me?"

James had never flown on the purple pony before, but he knew how much he meant to Sofia.

"You sure, Sof?"

"I'm sure. And I'll have a little word with him so he knows."

James gave her a curious look; she was always acting like she could talk to animals. Oh well.

"OK, Sof. I'll see you tomorrow."

THE NEXT DAY

James was ready and waiting in his derby clothes as Sofia coaxed a very nervous Minimus out of his stall.

"Come on, Minimus. For me?"

The purple horse shook his head.

"You don't understand. It's not James I'm worried about, it's-"

But he stopped as Hugo rode into the stables on his own flying horse, a magnificent purebred mare named Electra. Minimus was quite nervous in her presence. Hugo, for his part, stared down at James imperiously.

"What's the hold-up, James? Don't tell me you're riding that?"

"I am. For Sofia."

"Great."

Minimus was looking nervously at Electra, who regarded him with an imperious air.

"So, Electra, who'd have thought we'd be partners? You come from a long line of derby horses and I'm, well, I'm an assortment of carthorses and according to some family rumours, a flying donkey."

She snorted.

"Well, I can definitely see the donkey."

James got on Minimus' back, glaring at Hugo who glared back with equal dislike. Sofia could feel the tension in the air, but the thick Irish tones of Sir Gilliam suddenly spoke.

"Good morning, riders! As you know, the Junior Knights are the toughest opponents we've ever faced. They are the fastest riders in the league, so if you want to win the Flying Crown, you two had better practice your team plays."

James looked at Hugo, who wasn't looking convinced. Sofia piped up.

"Sir Gilliam, I think there's a new move James and Hugo could try."

"And what's that, Princess Sofia?"

"The Flying Slingshot."

Sir Gilliam looked at her with evident admiration.

"The Flying Slingshot? Now where did you learn about that?"

"I read all the old play books."

"What's the Flying Slingshot?"

James and Hugo asked this at the same time, causing them to look away awkwardly.

"Why, it's only the most difficult move in all of Flying Derby! In midair, the riders have to line up side by side. Then they have to reach across their horses and grab hands, spin in a perfect circle, then the bigger rider slings the smaller one forward at just the right moment. If you do everything exactly right, you will send your partner across the finish line. If you do it wrong, you end up flying sideways or backwards."

James looked at Hugo.

"Sounds like it could be the key to us winning. You wanna try it?"

"I told you, James, I don't care about team plays."

"My 'cute' team plays, wasn't it?"

Hugo turned red and looked away furiously.

"Shut up! Anyway, only one of us has to cross the finish line and that's gonna be me."

He rode off, head held high, ignoring James' eyes burning into his back.

"Oooh, I hate him."

Minimus snorted.

"You too, huh? Sofia's right; you are a smart horse."

Minimus looked startled.

"Did you hear that, Sofia? James called me smart!"

"Well, you are smart."

"I wish Electra thought so."

James rode after Hugo, determined not to let the other boy's ego cost Royal Prep its chance for the Flying Crown. But before he could call after Hugo, there came a loud cavalry charge and two magnificent flying steeds descended from the clouds. James felt his stomach drop as he heard Princess Clio and Princess Hildegard's voices.

"Oh no! They're here!"

"Squire Vaughn and Squire Vance, the Junior Knights."

The squires in question rode identical charcoal-grey horses, strong and fast stallion. Both were well-built, though Vance was a bit more squat than his associate. They rode like champion racers, and certainly dressed like them as well. Black riding uniforms with a lot of fancy gold trim, though Vaughn wore a red ribbon belt and Vance had a golden sash. Both also wore identical golden riding helmets, emblazoned with the Junior Knights Academy symbol. Hugo was watching them.

"Huh! They don't look so tough!"

James and Sofia glanced nervously at each other; they looked pretty tough to them. The two squires came striding over, noses in the air and observing them with imperious disdain.

"You two are the Royal Prep derby team?"

Vaughn had one of those irritating snobbish nasal voices that made you want to punch him in the face. Except he outweighed James by a significant margin, so probably not a good idea. Vaughn snorted and looked at his companion.

"We're going to win for sure, just like we always do."

James bristled at that remark, but not as much as Hugo.

"Huh! I bet I'm twice as fast as you."

Vaughn looked at him mockingly.

"I bet I'm ten times faster than you."

James saw where this was going; so did Sofia

"Uhh, maybe you guys could just practice?"

But Hugo wasn't listening; he was staring Vaughn down unflinchingly.

"I bet I'm a number you can't even count to faster."

"I can count all the way to one hundred."

"Prove it."

"One, two, three-"

"No! Prove you're a hundred times faster than me."

"Very well. To the fountain and back?"

"You're on!"

Both riders turned and rode for the line, with James and Sofia exchanging looks that plainly said "This isn't going to end well."

"On your marks. Get set. Go!"

Vaughn immediately pulled ahead of Hugo, who grunted angrily and spurred Electra on. But to no avail; he was barely hanging onto Vaughn's heels as the squire reached the fountain and rounded it, nearly flattening poor Princess Maya as she sat with a book. Her friend, Princess Jun, was whacked in the face by Vaughn's horse's wing and toppled backwards into the fountain with a shriek, but he didn't even notice her nor her brother shouting furiously after him with words that would have earned him two months detention had the fairies heard him. By the time Hugo had circled around the fountain, Vaughn was already headed back to the starting point and, too late, had won. He tossed his head back as Hugo landed, fuming.

"That was too easy."

Hugo glared at him with such intensity James half-expected the other boy to burst into flames.

"You just got lucky."

"That wasn't luck. Good luck in the race; I'll be waving from the finish line."

As he and Vance prepared to ride away, they were accosted by several angry young royals. Prince Jin was breathing like an enraged bull about to charge; Princess Jun, dripping head to foot with her hair all over the place; Princess Maya, grass stains all over her beautiful white gown from where she'd been forced to dive to the ground; her little brother Khalid, who was flexing his fingers like he was itching to strangle someone.

"Hey! You big bullies! You knocked my sister into the fountain!"

"My mother made me this dress!"

"And mine! Can't you look where you're going?"

The squires looked at the bedraggled and angry princesses. Vance snickered

"An improvement, if you ask me."

Next second, he had fallen back with a shriek as Princess Jun, normally so calm, sweet and composed, lunged at him with a feral snarl; she loved her mother, Empress Lin-Lin, very much and had valued the gown considerably. Both riders took to the sky as Jun yelled after them, held back by her brother and Maya.

"Come back here and fight like men, you cowards!"

She rounded on James, Hugo and Sofia, who cowered seeing the placid Chinese girl so angry.

"James, Hugo, you'd better beat those two!"

Taking a deep breath, she stalked off towards the school to clean herself up. James, Hugo and Sofia all exchanged looks.

"Wow. She's scary when she's mad."

"Now are you ready to try some team plays, Hugo?"

"No."

"Oh, come on! Everyone is counting on us!"

"Yeah, where's your school spirit? Huzzah, huzzah, for Royal Prep-"

But Hugo swung round on his heel and stormed past them, looking thunderous. James looked at his sister.

"Wow."

"Was it something I said?"

"No, Princess, it's what your brother sang."

Sofia jumped; she'd never heard Electra speak before.

"What he sang?"

"It's what the school sings when you win. And everyone in Hugo's family has heard it, except for him."

"Oh."

James looked round.

"Hrm? Sofia, did you say something?"

"No. But hold on, I'll be right back."

She ran after Hugo.

"Hugo, wait! I know your father was on the Flying Derby team when he was at Royal Prep."

"And my brother, and uncle and grandfather. But so what?"

"None of them won the Championship. Now you and James have a chance, but only if you use the Flying Slingshot with James. Then the whole school will cheer louder than they ever have….. for you."

Hugo looked at his feet; this pesky purple princess was right, much as he hated to admit it.

"OK, I'll try it."

"Great. James!"

James rode up on Minimus, Electra following him.

"Yeah?"

"Hugo's agreed to do the Flying Slingshot."

"Great! When should we try it?"

"It's getting late. First thing in the morning?"

"OK, sounds good."

THE NEXT MORNING

James was already at the track and saddled up when Hugo arrived. Sofia, as peppy as ever, was also there.

"So, Hugo, James and I think that since you're riding the bigger horse, you should sling James."

"Wait, that means James will cross the finish line first."

"So what? Only one of us has to cross it for both of us to win."

"Then it shouldn't matter to you who crosses it first."

James would have argued more but time was wasting. He whispered to Sofia.

"I don't think this is going to go well."

"Oh, James, what's the worst thing that could happen?"

FIVE FAILED ATTEMPTS LATER

"OK, OK, this is not going to work!"

Hugo extricated himself from the school fountain where he had just landed, a change from the last four times when he had landed in a pile of haybales. He was dripping wet and smarting with humiliation. James landed next to him; he'd laughed the first two times, felt sorry the next two and now was really frustrated.

"I told you to throw me over the finish line, not into the fountain!"

James was going red in the face, but before he could yell at Hugo another voice interrupted.

"What are you doing, baby bro? Why are you in this fountain and not on your horse?"

Prince Axel, Hugo's older brother, was leaning over the fence watching them.

"You've gotta get ready for the big race. The whole family's gonna be here, so you'd better win or don't come home."

That seemed a bit harsh, but Axel's stern expression almost immediately melted.

"Just kidding, baby bro!"

He gave Hugo a friendly noogie before striding off to take his place in the stands, but Hugo was looking thunderous.

"That's it! I'm done!"

"Maybe if we try it like Sofia suggested, with you throwing me-"

"We're never gonna get it right!"

"If we can't get it right, we won't win!"

"Then I quit!"

Hugo pulled off his soggy team jersey and threw it on the ground at Sofia's feet.

"Hugo! Hugo, wait! You can't quit!"

But he was gone, not even looking back. James looked angrily at Sofia.

"Great! Now we'll have to forfeit the race and Royal Prep will have lost its first chance in a hundred years at the Flying Crown! All because of Hugo!"

Minimus snorted angrily.

"Oooh, I cannot believe he just quit like that! If I could speak human, I would give him such a talking to!"

"Me too."

Electra was looking just as unhappy as the rest of them.

"Wait, you're on our side?"

"Of course. A true derby champion never quits on the team! That's always been Hugo's problem. He's a good rider, but he doesn't know the first thing about being a good teammate."

"Well, someone better show him and fast. Or there goes our win."

Sofia, who had been thinking hard, suddenly got an idea.

"James, can you go after Hugo and bring him back here?"

"Why?"

"Just do it. I have an idea."

Sighing heavily, James slid off Minimus' back and ran off after Hugo. The stands were filling up and the announcer was already going strong.

"Princes and Princesses, Kings and Queens, Lords and Ladies, it's the moment you've all been waiting for! The Flying Derby Championship Race! Today, one team will take home the majestic, the glorious, the beautiful Flying Crown!"

The trophy in question sat under a glass dome on a podium, a huge gold and scarlet crown gleaming in the sun.

"And here come the Junior Knight riders, defending champions Vaughn and Vance! Beating these two will be difficult, cause if speed had a name I assure you it would be these two!"

Vaughn and Vance rode out onto the track, sneering at the Royal Prep crowd. Princess Jun glared at them from her seat as they passed and they quickly moved away.

"And now let's meet the challengers, Royal Prep's stellar riders Prince James and Prince Hugo!"

Clapping and cheering ensued, but neither rider appeared.

"What? Where are they?"

Vaughn laughed.

"Hah! They're so slow they can't even make it to the starting line!"

Princess Jun stood up and yelled at them.

"Come up here and say that! I dare you!"

Fortunately, Sofia managed to avert bloodshed at that moment. Waving her good arm, she shouted at the Royal Prep supporters.

"Hey, derby fans! Are you ready to see your team win?"

"YES!"

"Good! But first, let's give them a reason to. One, two, three, four…"

MEANWHILE

James had managed to catch up to Hugo.

"Hugo! Wait!"

"I already told you, James, I quit! I'm not going out there."

"But you're being really selfish. You're gonna throw away our chances of winning?"

"What chances? We don't stand any chance! Now leave me alone!"

"No! Now come on!"

He grabbed the other boy's arm, ignoring the tingly feeling that came with it, and began pulling him back towards the racetrack. Hugo fought him and broke his grip.

"Let go! James, I'm not going to-"

"Ssh!"

"What?"

But as he listened, Hugo heard it. The school, led by Sofia, were bellowing at the top of their voices. But it wasn't cheering. It was singing. And not just any song.

"Huzzah! Huzzah!

RPA!

Huzzah! huzzah!

For Royal Prep, for the red, and green, and blue

We're all for one, and one for all

At RPA, you'll hear our royal call

Huzzah! Huzzah!

For Royal Prep Yes, we're loyal through and through

We rule on the field

And off it too

That's for Royal Prep to a T we're true

Hugo and James, royal through and through

Huzzah! Huzzah!

For red, green and blue

That's Royal Prep to a T we're true

Huzzah!

James glanced at Hugo; the other prince was standing stock still and his eyes were shining.

"Wait, why are they singing? They only sing when you win."

"They're singing for us, Hugo. Singing for us to win."

Something nudged Hugo's shoulder and he turned to see Electra, clutching his damp team jersey in her mouth.

"So, will you race with me?"

James held out his hand. Hugo looked at it, then smiled.

"Give me that jersey."

He wrung it out and pulled it on, then got on Electra's back as James did the same with Minimus.

"Let's win this thing!"

They fist bumped, then rode out onto the track. Vaughn and Vance, assured of their victory, stared in shock and disbelief as the crowd roared.

"And there they are! We'll have a race after all!"

Hugo looked up at the royal box, where his family were, then at James. The blond boy gave him a comforting smile, sending warmth spreading through his body as he returned it. They lined up at the gate, where the three fairies waited to give them the go ahead.

"Riders, on your wings!"

"Get set!"

"Go!"

The gates opened and they all shot through it, Vaughn and Vance instantly pulling ahead as they approached the bridge. James and Hugo tried to pass them on the right but Vance blocked them with a Double Derby Swerve. Princess Jun shouted and waved.

"Go, James! Go, Hugo! Crush them! Crush them like a grape!"

James, seeing they were getting nowhere, pulled back for a Wing Blast. Electra shot forwards to tail the Junior Knights, who were grimly hanging on to their lead and pulling ahead as they reached the middle stretch, through the archway and then the bell tower. Now they were approaching the final stretch and falling behind. James looked at his teammate.

"We're never going to catch them! We have to try the slingshot!"

"OK, but only if we do it the right way. I'll sling you!"

"You will?"

"It's the only way our team will win."

Minimus rolled his eyes.

"It's about time he realised that."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's do this thing!"

James and Hugo reached across and grasped hands, both feeling that familiar surge as they did so.

"Spin!"

They spun round and round, gaining momentum, until….

"Slingshot!"

At exactly the right moment, Hugo let go and James went soaring up, up, up into the air. Then nose dive, straight through and past the two squires who stared with open mouths as the small purple pony outstripped them and snapped the yellow tape at the finish line. The subsequent cheers sent birds flying from trees a mile away. James circled and came in to land as the crowd swarmed onto the field and he was enveloped by them, Amber and Sofia in the lead screaming his name. Then he felt another hand grab him and turn him around and there was Hugo, holding the Flying Crown in one hand. Next second, his teammate was hugging him tightly and he was hugging back, oblivious to the crowds screaming their names. There would be time for worrying about not wanting to let go of Hugo later; for now, James kept hugging him because it felt all right. And that was good enough for him.


	2. Chapter 2

A year on from his victory at Flying Derby, Hugo has become Royal Prep's first ever male Ice Dancer. Inspired by their friend's courage, many of the other princes ask Hugo to teach them how to do it, including James. However, James finds himself unable to concentrate in class thanks to his increasing feeling of attachment towards Hugo. When Hugo notices, and offers to teach him in private, James both fears and wonders where it could lead.

Winter term at Royal Prep was marked by various winter sports and events, shockingly(!). The students all quite looked forward to winter; warm fires, good food, playing outside in the snow with snowball fights and building snowmen. But in this cold time, two activities rose to prominence. Ice hockey for the boys and ice dancing for the girls; at least, up until now. Thanks to Sofia, once again, the previous gender-fixed sports had become all-inclusive. Just as Sofia herself had become the first princess to become a Flying Derby racer, and Champion on top of that, Hugo had become the first prince to ever do Ice Dancing. And he was good at it, really good. He and Sofia, who had become one of his closest friends since she helped him become a better team player (and a better person), had done a magnificent dance recital in front of the whole school and their family and friends, with Hugo amazing his father King Garrick with his skill and love for the art. Not only was Garrick impressed and proud of his son, but so too were his friends. That was why, after school had ended, Hugo found himself standing at the shore of the school's frozen pond, a small group of his fellow princes waiting on the ice to begin their first Ice Dancing lesson. James, Jin, Khalid, Derek, Zandar, Mike, Frederick, Toshi, Caleb and Noah. However, enchanted ice dancing skates were tricky to get used to, let alone master, and all of them were stumbling or floating about.

"All right, guys. First step is to find your strongest footing."

"How? I can't stop spinning!"

"Neither can I!"

"Ouch, Zandar, you just kicked my-!"

Hugo sighed; this was gonna be harder than he thought.

"The skates are connected to you; think stable feet!"

Next moment, all of them were standing firmly with their feet on the ice instead of flailing and spinning wildly. They looked at him expectantly.

"OK, now that's over, we can get started. First, balance. Balance is just as essential in Ice Dancing as it is in ice hockey. Now, try and skate from one end of the pond to the other without falling over."

All of them managed it on the first try, though not without a few stumbles.

"Good. Now, skate around the edge in a line."

These were simple exercises, to get them used to and comfortable in the enchanted skates. More than a few were giggling; the magic in the skates tickled if you didn't often wear them. As James passed, their eyes met; next second, James had lost his footing and went spinning across the ice, arms waving frantically. He skidded off the ice and into a huge snowdrift, sending snow everywhere. Once, Hugo would have laughed; now, he ran forwards and pulled James out of the snowdrift. James was covered head to foot in white powder, his face pink with cold under it. He was looking embarrassed, not meeting Hugo's eye. Deciding to move on, Hugo called them all over.

"Right, now you're warmed up, let's move on to something a little more complicated. The Fireball Flip."

They all looked nervous.

"Nothing too fancy or complicated. Just get a running start, then propel yourself up and spin around. Just one flip will do for now."

The boys lined up on the edge of the pond, for an optimum running start. Zandar, James' best friend and prince of Tangu, went first. Unfortunately, he was so caught up in soaring into the air that he forgot about the flipping and landed in a tree. Fortunately, his turban stopped any serious damage to his head.

"Ugh. I'll get him down. Khalid, you're up."

Khalid was the only prince of Khaldoun, which neighboured James' kingdom, and was on the hockey team with him. His take-off was less powerful than Zandar's, but he managed to do the flip. When he landed, he clapped his hands and giggled a little.

"That was fun!"

"Jin, your turn."

Jin was the portly prince of Wei-Ling, another of Enchancia's neighbours. Since he was heftier than Zandar and Khalid, he didn't go as high but he managed the flip. So did Frederick, Mike, Derek and Toshi. Caleb and Noah went together; the two were princes of two separate island kingdoms, Te Waipounamu and Te Ika-a-Māui, and virtually inseparable from each other. They took the jump at the same time, movements perfectly synchronized, and flipped to land elegantly with their friends. Now, only James remained. He was, in contrast to everyone else, looking very nervous. Seeing this, his friends began to cheer on him.

"Go, James!"

James took a deep breath, then took the running start. As he prepared to jump, he caught Hugo' eye. Next moment, he'd lost total control and went crashing into his friends like a rogue bowling ball, scattering them like pins. They didn't hold it against him, in fact most of them were roaring with laughter, but as Hugo leaned down to help James, the other prince pushed his hand away and wouldn't look at him. He spent the rest of the lesson avoiding Hugo's eye, but was unable to do a single flip. When Hugo finally called it a day, James threw off his enchanted ice skates and stormed off. Hugo stopped Zandar as he was about to go.

"What's up with James?"

"I don't know. He's been really weird lately, especially about you and this ice dancing thing."

"What do you mean?"

"It's like, I don't know. Remember when I had that party at Tangu Peak?"

"Who could forget that? Elephants dancing on flying carpets!"

"And how I was trying to impress Hildegarde?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I think James is trying to do the same with you."

Hugo blinked.

"What?"

Zandar nodded.

"Yeah. I'm a bit jealous; he's so eager to be your friend, and only last year he hated your guts."

"Yeah."

"Almost like he has a crush on you."

Zandar had said this half-jokingly, but he had no idea of knowing that he was correct in that assumption. Hugo blushed a little; he had felt a kind of connection to James long ago, when they'd hugged after winning the Flying Crown. It had felt nice, and warm, like being hugged by his mother. There had been resurgences each time he and James looked at each other, but he'd just thought that was because he was glad to have him as a friend. Zandar, unaware of the gravity of his words, clapped Hugo on the shoulder.

"Well, I'm gonna go back to the school and wait for my parent's carriage to arrive. See ya later, Hugo, and thanks for the Ice Dancing!"

The turbaned prince ran off in the direction of the main building, leaving Hugo standing there in the snow. The cold didn't bother him as much as it would others; his kingdom, Bruma, was cold all year round. He began to walk in the direction which James had run off in, towards the stables. Sure enough, when he entered the stables he saw James sitting on a haybale, face turned away. He didn't look up as Hugo approached.

"Hey, James. Why'd you run off like that?"

"No reason."

"If it's because you didn't do the flip, I'm not mad or disappointed. I had the exact same difficulties when I was first trying it."

"No you didn't."

"Yes, I did. This was when I was trying it in secret, before Sofia brought me out of my shell. But I kept trying and trying until I got it."

James laughed a little.

"I'll never get it, though. I can't concentrate on it when we're in class."

He actually meant that he couldn't concentrate because of Hugo, who he was sure now he really liked. Liked as in, how Zandar had liked Hildegarde and how Lakshmi liked Zandar himself. He wasn't ashamed of it; all the kingdoms tolerated it and he knew two boys in Dunwiddie Village who liked each other that way. He was just sure that Hugo would never reciprocate; he had girls fawning over him all the time, and all that time with Sofia doing Ice Dancing. So when Hugo clapped a hand down on his shoulder, he tried to suppress the warm feeling he got whenever that happened.

"Well then, how about I give you a private lesson?"

"P-Private lesson?"

"Sure. We've got a few minutes before our carriages get here to take us home. More than enough for me to help you get it right."

James was nervous; what if he slipped up? Let his true feelings show? But Hugo was already dragging him along to the icy pond, where their skates sat waiting. Something undetectable at the back of James' head pushed through his doubt and reluctance, made him put the skates back on and skate out on the ice with Hugo. Hugo took James' hand and led him over to the edge of the pond.

"OK, I'll go first. Just empty your mind of everything else except what you're doing."

James thought that was unlikely. Hugo, flawlessly of course, got in the running start and up into the air, flipping once perfectly before landing gracefully. He waved to James.

"Come to me, James!"

Boy, did James want that. He took a deep breath and started forwards, eyes never leaving Hugo's. Gaining momentum, he took the leap and… flipped one, two, three, four, five times. He was so ecstatic that he nearly forgot to break when he landed. Fortunately, he was stopped by Hugo cannoning into him, catching him in a big hug.

"You did it! James, you did it! You did a Quintuple Fireball Flip!"

"Is that good?"

"Good? No-one's ever done a Quintuple before! Not ever!"

"Well, it's all thanks to you."

The two of them had been hugging now for several seconds, but neither made the attempt to break the embrace. They held each other, gently, like lovers about to dance. No words were spoken. They weren't necessary; after all, love doesn't need a mouth to express itself. The eyes, golden brown and dark brown, met and locked and that, as they say, was that. They began to lean in closer, closer and closer until they felt the other's warm breath on their lips.

"H-Hugo?"

"Ssh. Don't speak."

James nodded, then moved his head in and their lips met. Fiery warmth like molten lava shot through their veins, chasing away winter's icy hold. Hugo, the taller of the two, pulled James in so their bodies were so tightly pressed against each other that not even the tiniest spider could have squeezed in between them. James broke the liplock.

"Is this real?"

It was whispered, like he was terrified to put it in words; Hugo smiled sweetly.

"Yes, James. This is real."

"I just kissed another prince. You just kissed another prince."

"Yep. And, I'm about to do it again."

"So am I."

And they did.


	3. Chapter 3: The Wedding, Part 1

Seven years on, and all of them had changed so much, reflected Prince James as he sat against his bedroom window, watching them far below as they bustled about preparing the castle for the celebrations tonight. This was his childhood bedroom but he was no longer a child. At eighteen years of age, James had grown into a handsome young man, the spitting image of his father at that age. He still wore the same outfit he had worn in his younger years, though with some minor alterations. It was a darker green now, with elegant gold thread embroidery, and he wore knee-high black boots instead of shoes; two medals gleamed on his chest, one silver with a knight's helmet, the other gold with his family crest. He'd graduated from Chivalry Hall with the highest honours, which the silver one denoted, and had been officially knighted as Sir James, First Knight of Enchanica, as the gold one denoted. His armour, polished to a mirror shine, stood in the corner along with his standard. He had chosen a foxhound as his standard, after his much-loved late dog, Rex. However, even the pang at remembering his best childhood friend was overshadowed today. The silver band gleaming on his left ring finger showed that he was engaged; it was of the purest silver and inlaid with a large emerald. But despite its beauty, James felt sick and saddened whenever he looked at it. A knock on the door startled him and he tried to make his voice sound firm and unruffled as he answered.

"Come in."

Baileywick poked his head round the door. His greying hair was even greyer now, white streaks showing up here and there, but he remained a dedicated servant and steward of the castle.

"Prince James. Your presence is required downstairs. Princess Vivian and her family will arrive soon."

"Thanks, Baileywick."

He followed the steward down the stairs, watching him consult his ever-present pocket watch; he was very big on keeping time. James kept his face impassive in case Baileywick looked round, but inside he wanted to cry. Tomorrow was his wedding day, when he would marry Princess Vivian of Zumaria. Vivian had been one of his friends from their Royal Prep days, an extremely shy little girl who'd been unable to even talk to anyone until Sofia helped bring her out of her shell. They'd had a grand time once when he, Vivian and Amber talked Sofia into bringing their pets to school only for them to get mixed up thanks to a potion and cause havoc all over the place, landing them all in detention for the rest of the day. Now they were getting married, and he dreaded it. Not because of Vivian; she was a lovely girl and a truly wonderful musician, and he liked her a lot. But that was the problem; he didn't love her. He'd be told that he'd grow to love her, like a lot of their parents had done, and if he liked girls that way he might well do. But he didn't like girls; he liked boys, and he loved one in particular. A boy who would be at the party, and at the ceremony, and who he desperately wanted to be with. They passed three maids dusting the balustrade as they descended the main staircase, Marcy, Suzette and Violet, all of whom curtseyed. The castle was being given the biggest cleaning it had likely ever seen in preparation for his wedding, floors and furniture and accessories gleaming merrily. Two bowing footmen opened the main doors and they descended the front steps, where his family waited at the foot of them. They turned at his approach.

"Ah, James, there you are! And just in time."

Roland, now approaching his middle years, had formally stepped down as king when James and Amber became of age and allowed Amber, in keeping with tradition, to ascend. Miranda, still active as the Queen Mother, held his hand as they waited. Amber, resplendent as always in a yellow gown and silver crown with Enchancian flags running along it; she too had grown, into the spit of their late biological mother, Queen Lorelei. A diamond ring glittered on her finger as she stood arm in arm with her own husband. Prince Desmond, so small, quiet and shy during his years at Royal Prep, had surprised them all by not only falling in love with Amber, but being the one to propose to her. Having grown fond of him during their time as partners for school projects, Amber had agreed and they were very happy. Desmond was happy to let Amber be the one in charge, content with his studies and his new enchanted gardening greenhouse. He was training to replace Cedric as the new Royal Wizard and though his magic was still a bit rusty, he excelled at alchemy.

Sofia, even more beautiful now at the age of sixteen, was wearing her Protector uniform with the Amulet of Avalor, as always, hung around her neck. She served to protect the Ever Realm and Enchancia from magical threats, as she had done back when they were just little kids by defeating that evil witch who had invaded their castle and tried to take over the world. Her devotion to this, and her adventurous nature, had made it unlikely that she would ever find someone special. However, she had defied that expectation and the proof was the silver amethyst ring on her finger. Prince Frederick, one of their classmates from Royal Prep, had bumped into her while she was trying to find and capture a rogue wizard who'd holed up in the Tangu Hanging Gardens. Frederick, who was also of an adventurous nature, had helped her trap and arrest the wizard, in the process becoming smitten with her. She'd put him through hell and back testing his devotion, but he'd grimly held on and when he proposed for the tenth time, she accepted. James was happy for his little sister, but it was at her engagement party that his betrothal to Vivian had been announced. He was shaken out of his reverie by the sound of wings beating.

"Ahh, here they are!"

The carriage, drawn by two flying horses and bearing the Zumaria flag, touched down gently and rolled to a stop in front of the castle. The coachman disembarked and opened the door, allowing Vivian's parents to disembark: King Marcus, a robust and energetic man in a purple jacket and gold waistcoat, and Queen Cecily, regal and calm in a magnificent green dress and head and neck dripping with jewelry. They bowed to the Enchancians, who bowed back. Amber cleared her throat nervously; this was her first time addressing visitors as Queen.

"King Marcus, Queen Cecily, welcome to Enchancia."

"We are glad to be here, Queen Amber."

"Vivian? Vivy, dear, come out and say hello."

A girl of seventeen, wearing a magenta gown adorned with musical note patterns with long black hair that fell loosely down her back, stepped timidly out of the carriage. She was beautiful, James acknowledged that, but she wasn't Hugo. Vivian approached James and he kissed her hand politely, getting the formality out of the way. Vivian blushed, not meeting his eye. Thankfully, the blare of trumpets announcing the arrival of more carriages made a great interruption.

"Presenting the King and Queen of Tangu!"

"Zandar! Hey, Zandar!"

Zandar waved back, ever his excitable self. He was still the prince of Tangu, as King Habib was not yet ready to step down, but was engaged as well. Having given up on his little unrequited crush on Hildegarde, Zandar had finally noticed Lakshmi giving him those eyes and their love had blossomed. It had caused a wee bit of a stir, which was visible now; Lakshmi was six months into her pregnancy and showing it. James had teased his friend over being unable to keep it in his trousers, but truth be told he wasn't all that innocent himself. He'd lost his virginity to Hugo when he was fifteen, in the empty stables here. It had been magical and wonderful, writhing about under Hugo and feeling him inside him, followed by snuggles in the warm hay afterwards. Hugo liked to act all macho, but he was surprisingly tender as a lover.

More royals and nobles began to arrive, many of them old friends; Jin and Jun from Wei-Ling, Jin still playing the field and Jun arm in arm with Prince Toshi; Hildegarde, Queen of Freezenberg, leading Derek by the arm; Clio, known as the Singing Queen, from Corinthia; Zooey, still an adventurer, and her girlfriend Princess Kari. Then James saw the next carriage and his heart froze.

"Presenting the royal family of Bruma, King Axel and Queen Astrid, Prince Vladik and Prince Hugo."

Axel, Hugo's older brother, had married Hildegarde's older sister Astrid not long after they came of age and they had had a little boy, Vladik, who was a really cute kid. But it was Hugo who commanded James' full attention; if he was handsome, Hugo was gorgeous. Everything about him was perfect, from the chiseled jaw to the long and strong legs. He'd gone on to become an Ice Dancer, just as he'd dreamed, and become very good at it. He was called the most eligible bachelor of all the kingdoms, and with 138 of them that was up against some pretty stiff competition, and it begged the belief of many as to why he had not taken a wife or even a prospective courtship. James knew, of course, but he couldn't bring himself to break his family's heart even if doing so broke his own beyond repair. He forced himself to look at Hugo, to smile and shake his hand as though they were merely old school chums reunited. Beneath the smile, James was in agony and he wondered if, beneath his own smile, Hugo was the same. But now it was time to go inside for the party.

The party was tame as the main event would be the official wedding ceremony tomorrow afternoon. Nonetheless, it was quite a bash and James would have loved it under other circumstances. He and his soon-to-be bride were seated with each other, but they had barely spoken to each other the whole evening. James played idly with his fork, watching his sister and friends dance with their partners and each other. Vivian was chatting to Sofia and Lucinda, Sofia's witch friend from the village, along with Ruby and Jade, Sofia's other friends from Dunwiddie. James spotted Khalid, moping at a table with his parents and older sister Leena; Maya, his other sister, was dancing with her boyfriend Mike. Roland and Miranda sat further down the table, cementing the final details with Vivian's parents. He was on his own, no-one noticed him. Or so he thought. Looking up, he saw Hugo standing next to the open doors to the balcony outside; the older boy motioned with his head outside, then went out. James stood up and turned to Vivian.

"Will you excuse me, Vivian?"

"Of course, James."

She smiled, but her heart wasn't in it. James, however, was too busy to notice. Making for the doors, he shut and secured them before turning. Hugo stood by the edge, apparently deep in thought, hands on the railing as he looked up at the full moon. He didn't turn around immediately.

"Hey."

"Hey. Some party, huh?"

"Your sister always knew how to throw one, even if it's not for her own wedding."

"Heh, yeah. Classic Amber."

Hugo let out a small chuckle but still didn't turn around. James took a few steps forward, but stopped when Hugo spoke.

"Do you love her?"

"Who?"

"You know who. Vivian, do you love her?"

"I-I… I don't know."

"You don't know?"

There was a trace of the familiar sneer he'd once used all those years ago, the one that masked the pain and pressure he'd been hiding from everyone.

"OK, no. No, I don't love her. She's nice, and a good friend, but I don't love her."

"So why are you marrying her?"

The question was not mocking, but sincere.

"Because- Because I don't want to disappoint my family."

Now Hugo turned around to face him.

"So you think that what we had, what we did, was shameful? Better off forgotten?"

"No. No, of course not."

"Then why?"

James stood next to him now, leaning on the railing.

"I was going to ask you to marry me. When I left Chivalry Hall and you were an Ice Dancer, both grown-up, I was going to ask you at Sofia's engagement party. Then my father stood up and announced that marriage alliance. I saw how much it meant to him, to them all, and I couldn't bring myself to shatter that."

"Even if it shatters you? Me?"

"Me, yes. You, you aren't bound to anyone. You can still find someone else, another bloke who'll love you and can be with you."

"But, James, I don't want another bloke. I don't want any other bloke; I jsut want you."

Hugo's voice was breaking now with sadness, and James felt tears prick his eyes. He felt Hugo touch his shoulder.

"Please, James. You'll marry a woman you don't love, break your own heart, live in endless pain?"

"I-I'm sorry, Hugo."

"James."

He felt himself being turned to face Hugo; now they were face to face, noses almost touching in an embrace they'd done so many times before. But Hugo was holding him like he'd vanish once he let go and James knew he'd lose all control before long.

"Hugo. Hugo, please."

"James. I love you."

And Hugo kissed him; kissed him tenderly, lovingly, in that way James loved. And though James wanted to return it, he forced himself not to. Hugo pulled away, deep brown eyes looking at him with heartbreak. James pushed himself away.

"I'm sorry, Hugo."

"James."

"Don't. Just- Just go, please."

"But…"

"Please? For me?"

Hugo looked for a moment like he was going to ignore that and kiss him again, and James was unsure if he'd be able to resist it this time. But, with an obviously tremendous effort, Hugo turned towards the door. James watched as the only person he would ever love walked away from him, only to pause with his hand on the doorknob. He looked back, tears shining on his face.

"I will always love you, James. Always."

And then he was gone. James wanted to go after him so badly, but in the end he did not. The full moon above seemed to dim as he buried his head in his hands, slumped against the stone railing and began to cry and cry.


	4. Chapter 4: The Wedding, Part 2

James did not sleep well at all that night, visions of Hugo's broken face swimming in his head. He finally fell asleep around four in the morning, after tossing and turning for hours, and woke to bright sunlight and Baileywick's voice as he yanked the curtains back.

"Time to wake up, Prince James. You don't want to miss your own wedding ceremony, now."

James pulled himself up, eyes red-rimmed and bleary. Violet set a breakfast tray down on the table, his favourite eggs and bacon.

"I'll understand if you don't finish it, your highness. Wedding jitters."

"Thanks, Violet."

The maid curtseyed and left, unaware of his pain. Though convinced that he'd be unable to stomach anything, he managed to eat half of it before giving up and walking over to the window, still in his nightshirt. Below, people were milling around as more guests arrived but he didn't see them. He saw the window catch, how it opened wide. Perhaps it would hurt when he hit the ground; perhaps it wouldn't. He reached for the window catch… and jerked his hand back as somebody knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Baileywick came back in, followed by the maids and several of his friends. Jin, Zandar, Derek, Khalid and Frederick. They were pushing a humanoid shape underneath a white sheet.

"Prince James, we have brought your wedding suit."

Zandar snatched the cover off the thing and James, in spite of himself, gasped. It was made most beautifully of black silk, with a scarlet high-collared cape and matching bow tie, grey silk gloves and polished black leather shoes. Despite his previously suicidal thoughts, James couldn't help but admire it.

"Wow! Colette really outdid herself this time."

"Actually, Colette didn't do this. Poor woman had to go take care of her sister."

James stroked the front of the jacket.

"Then who made it?"

"Khalid did."

"You did?"

Khalid had gone on to the School of Royal Fashions alongside Hildegarde when they'd all graduated from Royal Prep. He still wore his old outfit, an orange tunic and trousers with a long green cape. But he looked as miserable as James felt, trying as he was to hide it. Baileywick motioned for Violet, Suzette and Marcy to leave.

"We'll leave you to get some privacy."

"Privacy?"

"Yes. Come on, ladies."

The door closed behind the steward, leaving James confused. Then he saw how his friends were looking at him.

"Uhhh, guys?"

"GET HIM!"

They leapt on him as one and began pulling on his nightshirt. He tried to fend them off, but they got it off him and he was forced to chase them round the room, tomato red in the face and with everything on display, trying to recover some amount of dignity. Eventually, they relented and helped him to get dressed. As Frederick and Jin helped to attach his cape, he inspected himself in the mirror.

"This is a really nice suit, Khalid."

"Thanks. I also made Vivian's wedding dress. Took me two weeks."

"Wow. What'd you make?"

"Can't tell. You'll see when you're standing at the altar."

James left it at that.

"Where's Hugo? I thought he'd be with you guys."

He had been hoping and dreading in equal measure that Hugo would have been with them. Zandar, who was helping pin the cape in place, shrugged.

"He said he wasn't feeling well, so he went for a walk in the garden with Sofia."

"Sofia? And you let him, Frederick?"

"I gave him the standard warning. Besides, Sofia can hold her own if he puts the moves on."

James couldn't suppress a chuckle. Jin finished lacing up the shoes.

"There. All finished."

James admired himself in the mirror; it was a stellar job.

"I look a bit like a vampire, actually."

"I took it from one of your old costumes. You in black, Vivian in white. She always looked wonderful in white."

Khalid, again, looked as devastated as James felt. None of the others noticed. Zandar stood up.

"Right, well we'd best go get ready ourselves."

James had picked Zandar as his best man, made sense since he was his best friend, and he had been named godfather to Zandar's child when it was born. Alone for now, he stared at himself in the mirror. The outfit was wonderful, but he wished for the hundredth time that he was marrying Hugo.

Meanwhile, Vivian was undergoing the same treatment with her friends, Lakshmi, Sofia, Amber, Hildegard, Clio, Jun and Zooey were helping her into her wedding gown. It was pure white, with an embroidery of musical notes all along the hems and up the bodice. It was beautiful, and light as a butterfly's wing. Sofia finished lacing her up from behind.

"Done. You look wonderful, Vivian!"

"Thanks, Sofia. Isn't Khalid wonderful at this?"

"He sure is!"

Lakshmi waved something; the veil.

"Here. Try out the veil."

Vivian stood still as her friends placed it on her head and slung the veil over her face. It was indeed perfect, but the day wasn't. Beneath her veil, she sighed. James was nice and all, but she just didn't like him that way. It was Khalid who had stolen her heart all those years ago, but they'd never had any chance to act on it. And she didn't want to disappoint her parents, who were so happy at seeing their little girl getting married. It was a very difficult situation. The girls left her alone with her thoughts, enormous and numerous as they were. She looked at her engagement ring, silver with a pink ruby, and felt tears prick her eyes.

The ceremony would take place in the castle gardens, as the ballroom wasn't large enough to hold everyone. A long aisle lined with comfy chairs led up to the altar, which stood in front of the fountain. Already, guests were beginning to take their seats; families of the bride and groom at the front, with friends behind them. Hugo, looking like he had a bad head cold, took his place in the third row, behind the seats where James' grandmother, aunt and uncle were sitting. He was wearing one of his favourite suits, the one which he'd worn during his first professional Ice Dancing recital; it was a kind of navy blue, with a white shirt and a black bowtie. Guests all around him were chatting with each other but he sat silently, in his misery. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Now why the long face, buster?"

The voice was female, loud and friendly. Hugo jerked his head up in surprise to see a robust and smiling woman observing him from the seat in front. She was wearing a beautiful gown of jade green, but was also holding a yellow umbrella and a tatty looking old carpet bag. The man next to her looked round and Hugo recognised him with a gasp.

"You're Sir Bartleby, the Silent Knight!"

He smiled graciously. Hugo looked at the woman.

"Then you must be James' Aunt Tilly!"

"That I am! And Sofia's, and Amber's. Also Roland's sister, Miranda's sister-in-law and various other things. Oh, and this fine gentleman's wife!"

She nudged Sir Bartleby, who blushed. Hugo smiled.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you, dear boy. But why are you not happy?"

"Um."

"Oh, now don't try and hide it. I can tell if something's wrong."

Hugo breathed in.

"Oh, well, if you're not going to tell me then I'll just have to work it out for myself. Let's see."

She looked him up and down.

"Silver buttons with the Bruma kingdom crest, dark eyes, darker hair. Oh! I've got it! You must be Hugo, the boy James is always going on about!"

Hugo nodded; this woman was sharp as a tack under all that kookiness.

"Yes, I'm Hugo."

"You must be very important to him, the way he's always mentioning you."

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"And he must be very important to you."

"Yeah. Yeah, he really is."

He'd gone misty-eyed, and she noticed.

"AH-HA! I knew it! You love him, don't you?"

"Tilly! Don't embarrass the poor boy!"

Sir Bartleby had an unusually high pitched voice for such a big and strong knight, but Hugo barely noticed.

"Ssh! Keep it down!"

"And he loves you, doesn't he?"

Hugo opened his mouth… and a choked sob came out of it. He got up and rushed away, aware of Tilly and her husband chasing him. He ran into a tent and leaned against a support pole, fighting off the grief he felt. Tilly and Sir Bartleby came in after him, the former looking remorseful.

"Wow, you must really like him. I'm sorry about that."

"No, it's fine."

"It's obviously not fine, sweetie. Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't James?" 

"Because he doesn't want to disappoint his mother and father."

"Disappoint them?"

But before they could speak any further, a bell began to ring loudly outside.

"Oh, that's our cue! The ceremony's about to start and we can't be late, it's not our wedding!"

Hugo smiled; "I wish it was mine", he thought.

They went back to their seats, Tilly giving him a reassuring pat on the hand. With a pang, Hugo spotted James standing at the altar. He was wearing a black outfit with a scarlet cape that fit him to a T; it took all Hugo had not to just run up to him and hug him on the spot. As he sat down, James looked his way and their eyes met for a moment; the familiar connection occurred again. But at that moment, the band began to play. "Here Comes The Bride", it was. As one, the assembly rose and turned to look. Vivian, in a beautiful white dress and veil, was walking down the aisle, arm in arm with her father. King Marcus looked positively about to burst with pride and excitement as he led his daughter to the altar. James smiled a little; this was a wonderful occasion. When they reached the altar, Marcus bowed to James and went to take his seat next to his wife as Vivian lifted her veil, smiling shyly. James and Vivian took positions facing each other as the official stepped up to the podium.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of these two souls…"

James was blanking it out; he could see Hugo out of the corner of his eye over Vivian's shoulder. Hugo was looking at him, with such devastation in his eyes it was painful to see. James moved his gaze over to his parents, who were smiling, then to Vivian. She was looking at her feet, rather miserably. James took one last look at Hugo, then came to a decision.

"Do you, Prince James, take-"

"Stop! Stop the wedding! This isn't right!"

 **And James finally loses his restraint. The next and final chapter will conclude on a happy note, no suicidal thoughts or angst. And for those of you who wonder about my choice for Sofia's fiance, Prince Frederick, he was one of the background princes who I felt deserved a chance to shine here.**


	5. Chapter 5: The Wedding, Part 3

"Stop the wedding!"

There were murmurs amongst the guests at his words. James looked straight at Vivian, trying not to look at his parents.

"Vivian, I'm sorry. You're a really nice girl, and you'll make someone really happy, but I won't make a good husband to you. Because my heart belongs to someone else."

He expected Vivian to look angry or upset; instead, to his utter amazement, she giggled. Then laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing. But, James, as unbelievable as it sounds, so does mine."

"You mean?"

"Yes. I only went along with this so I wouldn't disappoint my parents."

"You're kidding. So did I."

The prospective newlyweds stared at each other, then began to laugh. They laughed so hard they were also crying, the irony being too much to bear. Their parents got to their feet whilst more confused muttering issued through the crowd.

"What's wrong, James?"

"Vivy, dear, whatever's the matter?"

Vivian turned to face her parents.

"Mum, Dad, I'm sorry but I can't go through with this. I love someone else."

James faced his parents as well.

"Me too. Please don't be too mad."

They braced themselves for the worst, but it did not come. Instead, they felt gentle hands pat them on the head and looked up to see their parents looking both amused and somewhat guilty. Queen Cecily and Miranda exchanged looks.

"Dears, we're not disappointed in you. We thought we were making you happy."

"Yes. If we'd known you loved someone else, we wouldn't have arranged this marriage."

Roland looked confused.

"I'm sorry, James, but I did think you liked Vivian. You did spend all that time together a couple of years ago."

"Dad, that was for Chivalry Hall. We were trying to compose an inspirational song."

"And James is a nice boy who I really enjoyed doing that with, but we just don't like each other that way."

That seemed good enough for King Marcus.

"Well then, Vivy, dear, we are sorry for this."

"We were just really afraid of disappointing you, seeing how happy you were about this marriage."

Queen Cecily interjected.

"We were happy because we thought you were happy together. I see now we were too presumptive. We're sorry, Vivian."

"It's OK, Mum."

Miranda clapped her hands.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I think it's time you tell us who's stolen your hearts."

Vivian smiled.

"It's Khalid."

They turned to look at the audience where Khalid had stood up, next to his mother Queen Anya, and was waving shyly at them, looking suddenly bashful. Vivian waved back as Marcus and Cecily exchanged looks.

"Well, that was easy."

"I suppose we should have seen it sooner, Marcus. Look how they blush."

"Reminds me of our courting days."

"Oh, stop it!"

Queen Cecily hid her own furious blushes with her fan. Roland and Miranda looked at James expectantly.

"Well, James, who is she?"

"That's the thing, Dad. It's not a she."

He risked a glance over his mother's shoulder and was rewarded with Hugo's eyes, wide and hopeful. He smiled.

"It's a he. And he's standing right there."

They turned and saw Hugo, who looked very nervous at being put upon the spot. Roland looked from his son to Hugo, then back again.

"Now that you mention it, that does seem rather obvious."

"You mean you're not mad?"

James said this tremulously, as though he dared hardly hope it could be true. Roland laughed.

"Not at all. But you really should have told us."

"I know, Dad. But, could I?"

"By all means."

Hugo had stepped into the aisle, still looking like he half believed all this was a dream. James stood there for a moment, watching him, then smiled and opened his arms in welcome. Hugo practically threw himself into them and then they were locked in an embrace so tight that it seemed nothing on Earth could pry them apart. It was obvious for all to see that these two boys really loved each other. They only separated when they remembered they had an audience, blushing a little since they weren't used to kissing in front of people. A few of the guests muttered mutinously and a couple actually stood up to leave, but the majority were silent and smiling. The priest, who had been watching all of this with a seen-it-all expression, tapped his finger on the pulpit.

"Now that that is settled, am I going to be marrying someone or not?"

"Yes."

But before they could take their places, Vivian patted Hugo on the shoulder and held something out in her hand.

"You'll be needing this."

It was her ring, pink ruby gleaming in the light. But as Hugo took it and slipped it onto his finger, the gem glowed brilliant white for a second before turning to a light blue sapphire. Hugo admired it for a moment, then he and James joined hands as the priest began to intone once more.

"Let me see, where was I? Ah, yes. Do you, Prince James, take Prince Hugo to be your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

James tightened his grip on Hugo's hands, having dreamed of this moment for so many years.

"I do."

"And do you, Prince Hugo, take Prince James to be your lawfully wedded husband? In sickness and in health, till death do you part?"

Hugo's eyes were wide and moist, never leaving James'.

"I do."

The priest raised his arms and a shower of golden and silver sparks descended upon them.

"Then by the power vested in me, I declare this couple to be wed. You may now kiss."

Silently, the two boys leaned forwards and their lips met in a gentle kiss this time. James' parents, tears in their eyes, began applauding, quickly joined by everyone else. Vivian and Khalid, sitting next to each other now, and their parents; Tilly and Sir Bartleby; Zandar and Lakshmi; Amber and Desmond; Sofia and Frederick; Axel, Astrid and Vladik. The entire assembly, on their feet and clapping. James and Hugo stood there, slightly baffled, but delighted at the positive reception.

"HUGO!"

Hugo's smile vanished and his face went white as his father, the former King Garrick, stormed out of his seat and came down the aisle towards him, looking thunderous. Though older now, Garrick was still a powerful and buff man and Hugo trembled as his father folded his arms. He raised a trembling hand.

"H-Hey, Dad."

"Hey nothing, young man! First the ice dancing and now this?!"

Hugo was visibly wilting under his father's furious gaze. James squeezed his hand comfortingly, the other balling into a fist; Garrick was significantly bigger than he was, but he'd hit him if it came to it. The guests were all watching nervously as Axel came running. Garrick's mouth opened and Hugo braced himself for more harsh words. But they didn't come. Instead, Garrick let loose one of his big belly laughs.

"HAH! You thought I was going to hit or disown you, didn't you?"

Hugo looked at his father in amazement.

"A-A little. Dad, I thought you were mad at me."

"I am. Because once again, you've kept something you love a secret from me even after you promised you wouldn't ever again."

"Oh. Oops?"

"Oops nothing! You should have told me you loved James from the moment this whole thing started. No more secrets, OK?"

"Uh, OK?"

"Because if I find any, so help me I will take you across my knee like when you were young, I don't care how old you are right now! Understand?"

"Dad!"

"Understand?"

"OK, OK! God, do you have to embarrass me on my wedding day?"

"It's either me or your brother."

"You were saying?"

James was watching this with amusement; after the past few days, it felt so good to laugh. King Roland stood up.

"Well, then, if that is all the excitement for now, we have a reception to begin!"

The reception was, despite the sudden change in who was getting married, nonetheless quite happy. James and Hugo cut the cake, whose bride effigy had been magically transformed into a miniature of Hugo and smacked anyone who tried to poke it out of curiosity, and received congratulations from their guests, friends, and family. The band was playing a stately little waltz, with some couples on the dance floor. Zandar and Lakshmi, despite her pregnancy, were stealing the show. Then Axel stepped up and motioned for the band to be silent.

"OK, everyone! It's time for my baby bro and his new hubby to share their first dance! Let's give them a hand!"

The guests cleared the dance floor and clapped. Hugo whispered to Cedric as he passed him and the sorcerer nodded with a smile on his face. With a wave of his wand, the dance floor became shimmering ice and a pair of beautiful skates appeared on the newlywed's feet. The band began to play the song Hugo and Sofia had danced to in their first Ice Dancing rehearsal, 'Take a Leap', and Hugo and James began to skate gracefully around the dance floor, occasionally flying into the air in a close embrace. Soon, skates began to appear on the feet of the guests and the icy floor was busy with dancers. For the final act, Hugo took James around the waist and threw him into the air, where he soared gracefully with his cape billowing behind him, before pirouetting and landing elegantly. They held each other closely, so only James heard what Hugo whispered to him.

"I can't wait to officially consummate this marriage."

"Bit late for that, isn't it?"

"They don't know that."

James' ears flared red, but he flashed a naughty smile.

"That's true."

LATER THAT NIGHT

James was lying on his back in his bed, panting and covered in sweat, after their third round of lovemaking. Hugo snuggled up next to him, black hair messy from the tryst. Their clothes lay scattered inelegantly all over the room, some in highly impossible places; James was pretty sure that was his underwear hanging on the lamp, but they'd been unable to keep their hands off each other the moment the bedroom door swung closed behind them. As he snuggled deeper into the warmth of the bedsheets, he felt Hugo's body pull away from his and heard him get out of bed. Turning over, he was treated to an excellent view of his new husband's naked butt as he walked away from the bed.

"Where you going?"

"To ensure we're not disturbed."

Hugo turned the key in the lock and tried the handle to make sure it was locked. James rolled back over as he heard Hugo return and get back into bed. He felt the mattress dip, the bedspings creak, and then warmth on his back as Hugo pulled him close.

"Mmmmm, I could get used to this."

"The sex?"

"Sleeping next to you."

"Me too."

James felt Hugo kiss his temple, then settle down to sleep. His dreams were happy, if a bit to heavy on the details, and a particularly good one woke him in the small hours, the light of the sun just beginning to peek in. Half-asleep, James felt the warmth of his sleeping husband on his back, his hardness poking him from behind, and smiled. But, surprisingly enough, that wasn't what he was smiling at. Catching the light of the early morning sun where it sat on his finger was his wedding ring, the emerald gleaming green. It had been a long road, with a lot of twists, turns, bumps and fog banks, but they'd reached the end of it now. They were married, together forever;

James and Hugo.

THE END.


End file.
